Family Pride 2: Life Has its Moments
by poetLaurie
Summary: A sequel of sorts to Family Pride, comprised of various moments in the continuing lives of Buzz, Jessie, Woody, and Bo. Recommended reading: Family Pride :) This series of stories picks up about a year and some change after the events of Family Pride. Mostly T rated, probably will switch to M later on :)
1. Author's Note

**A note from the author: Well howdy! Pleased to meet ya! Welcome to Family Pride 2!**

**If you haven't read Family Pride, or haven't read it in a while, you might want to mosey on over and read it (or reread it, since I made changes).**

**Now, this isn't going to be a typical sequel in that there will be one single plot line. Instead it will be mini-stories, snippets of the lives of Jessie, Buzz, Woody, and Bo. I will try and make it chronological, but it's not going to be a "this happened today, that happens tomorrow" type thing. I also won't promise regular updates as I will be writing stories as they hit me (but hey, I'm always open to suggestions/prompts).**

**I'm starting things off about a year and some change after the events of Family Pride, so whenever you're ready, jump on in! And if you do read, please leave reviews, particularly if you enjoy the stories!**


	2. New Beginnings

"Was that Andy?" Jessie craned her neck back, watching the Sheriff's car continue down the dusty lane.

"Sure looked like it," replied Bo from the driver's seat as she maneuvered the car back to the center of the road that led to the ranch.

"What d'ya suppose he was doin' here?"

Bo shrugged, "I don't know, we'll just have to ask Woody when we get home. When do I get to hear the news from Buzz?" She nodded her head to the letter Jessie held in her lap.

"When I've read it first," she laughed. "B'sides… might be your ears are too delicate for what he wrote," she added with a wicked grin.

Bo let out a hearty laugh of her own, "Might be." She brought the car to a stop around the back of the old farm house. "Do we need help with the groceries?"

"Nah," Jessie called as she pulled herself out of the front seat. "By the time your husband gets out to the car, we'll already have them in the house," she grinned across the backseat at her sister-in-law.

"Hello!" Bo called as they brought their haul into the kitchen.

"Hey," Woody hurried in to the room. He relieved his wife of the grocery bags with a kiss on the lips. "How was work?"

"Pretty good," she nodded. She pulled the milk and eggs out to get them into the refrigerator.

"What was Andy doin' here?" Jessie asked, her hand resting on her hip.

"We passed him on the way up the lane," Bo explained. Her blue eyes clouded with concern, "Everything okay?" The last time the Sheriff has visited Round-Up Ranch was a little over a year before. A man by the name of Irwin Lotso was doing everything he could to wrest the land from the Pride siblings, even if it meant killing them. Andy arrived in time, killing Lotso before he could shoot Woody or Jessie. Bo remembered the fear she felt when Woody had come running in to the police station, not knowing she was already there to report an odd car at the ranch.

Woody smiled gently and laid a reassuring hand on her forearm, "Everything's fine, Bo. Jessie," he looked to his sister, "Would you mind giving my wife and me a moment? There's something we need to talk about," he looked back at Bo.

Jessie nodded, "Sure. I got a letter from Buzz; I'll just be outside readin' it." She grabbed an apple from a bowl on the table and headed out into the summer afternoon, wondering what they were going to be talking about. She pulled herself up into the crook of an old tree, swinging her leg over the wide branch where she loved to sit. She pulled Buzz's letter from her pocket and smiled. He was away for a three month-long mission with Star Command, helping set up the Gamma quadrant's segment of the Galactic Alliance. He had told her that, someday, they would have a device that would allow them to talk face-to-face via a screen; for now, though, that was not high on the priority list and hand-written letters were the most reliable form of communication. She unfolded the paper and leaned back.

He wrote of the progress they were making on the station, of his new duties as a Captain. _It sounds impressive, Jess, but I don't see it that way. I'm still doing what I've always done, and that's fine with me. You know how much I love having to deal with the bureaucratic side of things._ Jessie giggled at the sarcastic tone and then smiled as he went on about the team he now found himself leading. _There's a woman named Mira Nova; you'd like her a lot. She's a member of the Tangean royal family (Tangea is a world, I forget where); her father forbid her to join Star Command, but she did it anyway. She doesn't seem to be quite comfortable yet as a Space Ranger (did I tell you that's what we're called?), but I think she'll grow into it. Then there is X-R… he's a robotic creature who works on my nerves, to be honest. He just always has an answer for everything. Don't get me wrong, he's not a bad person, but you know the type. He's also proving to be quite the Don Juan, at least in his mind. There is supposed to be another cadet joining soon, but all I know is his name is Booster. I guess he's been serving with Star Command for a while, but in what capacity, I'm not sure. Our Commander's last name is Nebula; go figure, huh? With a name like that, how could he be with anyone but Star Command? Although I guess the same could be said for me. You sure you want to take my last name? It might come with expectations._ Jessie laughed and absently twisted the ring she wore on her left hand.

Buzz's letter continued on to a more personal level, some of which brought color to Jessie's cheeks. _Bo is _definitely_ not hearing this part_, she thought. _Tell Woody and Bo that I said hello and that I hope everything is well with them. I miss you and think about you all the time. I wish I could bring you out here so you could see what the skies really look like; you would be amazed. The Commander seems very pleased with our progress and said we're ahead of schedule. If things continue that way, we might be relieved early. I'll keep you updated. All my love, Buzz._

Jessie folded up the letter with a wistful sigh. Between her job with Slink at the veterinarian's office in town and all of the work on the ranch, she was rarely still. It was at night she felt Buzz's absence keenly; his usual seat at the dinner table was empty, and she missed his laughter as the trio shared various stories from their days. She let out another sigh, this one of a more optimistic nature, knowing that she would have the time the following day to drive over to the sunflower field Buzz owned. He had shown it to her last year, after she returned home from veterinary school. Much as he had used it as a refuge, she now used it to write her letters to him, feeling closer to him there and away from any prying eyes or interruptions.

She jumped down from the branch, _Wonder if Woody's spoken his piece?_ She opted to give her brother some more time and headed to the new barn. It was no longer quite new, being about nine months old, but Jessie could not help but think of it that way. The one her grandfather had built was burnt to the ground, set ablaze by Lotso in an effort to intimidate her and Woody. She shuddered as she usually did when the memory of that day surfaced; she would have died in the fire had Buzz not found her and pulled her out. Shaking her head against the past, she slid open the door and was greeted by the smell of fresh hay. As she looked around at the stalls, she smiled as a fond memory replaced the bad one.

The barn had been finished in the fall and it was christened with Woody's and Bo's wedding. The pair had tried convincing Buzz and Jessie that it should be a double wedding, but they had turned down the offer. Buzz was busy with the Star Command station and he and Jessie both agreed that it would be best to let that get settled before setting a date for their own wedding. Jessie also protested that the day should belong to Woody and Bo alone, but not without gratitude for the suggestion. The day of the wedding was everything it should have been and was made all the more joyous because Woody's and Jessie's parents were able to make the trip from the East coast to be a part of it.

Jessie emerged from her reverie and walked to Bullseye's stall. "Howdy, critter," she greeted him affectionately, holding out the uneaten apple half to him. She chuckled as the horse's lips tickled her palm as he consumed the fruit. Rubbing his nose in farewell, she took a quick turn through the barn to make sure the other horses were fine. When Woody and Jessie designed the new barn, they included more stalls for horses. As co-owners, the siblings were in constant discussion over the workings of the ranch and Jessie had expressed an interest in investing in horses. Woody was in agreement, and they were slowly making the transition away from cattle. The move was proving to be fortuitous, as the area of Oklahoma where they lived had cattle to spare, but horses were often imported from other states.

Deciding that she had given Woody an ample amount of time, Jessie headed back to the farmhouse the trio shared. She found Woody and Bo sitting on the side porch, their arms around each other. "Uh-oh," she teased, "am I interrupting something?"

Woody laughed sardonically, "Ha-ha, very funny. How're things with Buzz?"

She settled against the porch railing, "He's fine; got promoted to Captain and now will have his own team. He said to say hello and he hopes to actually be home earlier than scheduled. Gonna tell me about Andy's visit now?"

"Guess you won that bet," he looked at Bo, amusement flooding his voice.

"What bet?" Jessie looked between the two.

He grinned, "Bo bet that you wouldn't let too much time pass before you asked about Andy. I said that Buzz's letter would have made you forget."

Jessie laughed, "Serves you right; it's like you don't know me at all. Now spill it, cowboy."

Woody sobered up slightly, "Okay, here's the thing. Andy actually approached me a few weeks back because they're expanding the force, adding in a Deputy Sheriff position. He asked me to think about applying."

"You?!"

"Yeah," he nodded, "He said that I wouldn't need the same level of training as, say, a state trooper, but there would be some that I could get from him and also the police academy about twenty miles down the road. I asked if I wasn't a little past my prime, but he just laughed; I guess being twenty-five isn't all that old to join the force. But I guess, whatever I did last year with all that went on, impressed him enough to think I have the makings of a sheriff."

Jessie inclined her head, "What did you tell him?"

Woody rubbed his hand along the back of his neck, "I told him that I would think about it, but that I needed to discuss it with you and Bo before I made any decisions. He stopped by to see if I had made up my mind yet." His brown eyes were frank as he looked at his sister, "It would mean that I would turn the ranch over to you. I'd help out where and when I could, but I wouldn't be able to run it with you."

"That's all right; there's plenty of ranch hands lookin' for work, an' Buzz always helps when he's home. I kind of wondered when this would happen," her mouth pulled into a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"You followin' in Dad's footsteps. You've always itched to, and don't deny it. I know you took on the ranch from Grandpa because you felt it was your duty. And you've done so well with it, I know he'd be proud. But for as good as you are here, Andy's right; you have the makings of a great sheriff."

Woody stared at Jessie for a moment before his features softened into a smile. It was true, he realized; their father had left the ranching life to pursue a career in law enforcement. Woody and Jessie had gone to live with their grandparents in their teenage years as it was a more stable life than the constant-on-the-go nature of their parent's. Woody loved the land, but he had often found himself thinking of the life his father led.

Bo nudged her husband, "See? I won that bet, too. I told him you'd agree with Andy, and so do I."

"It'll mean some big changes," Woody cautioned.

"So who's to say that's such a bad thing?" Jessie countered with an approving nod from Bo. "Tell Andy you're in; we'll work out the ranch details in the mean time. Boy, just wait'll I write Buzz about this! He'll be floored," she grinned. "I can tell him, can't I?"

"You will whether I tell you that you can or not," Woody laughed. "It's so strange; I never would have thought life would have changed so much in a year. So many things coming to an end that I thought would go on forever."

Jessie nudged her brother's foot with her boot, "I wouldn't say that things are ending…let's think of it as just a bunch of new beginnings." She grinned as she was overcome with excitement for whatever the future had in store.


	3. A Rude Awakening

Buzz felt the ever-increasing weight of his eyelids as he drove down the deserted road. The clock on the dash of his truck blinked "3:52" and he rubbed his eyes with a hand. The logical thing, he admitted to himself, would have been to drive to his own house and sleep in his own bed, since it was by far closer to the base. However, he also acknowledged, it lacked the enticement of his current destination: climbing into the bed he shared with Jessie. The thought of his fiancée brought a smile to his face. He had written her to let her know that the mission had, in fact, ended early, and to expect him around this date. He did not know that they would be returning so early in the morning, so she would not be expecting him. His smile widened at the thought of her waking up to find him curled up beside her.

He pulled the truck up to the house, hoping the crunch of the tires on the dirt was not loud enough to wake anyone inside. He carefully unlocked the kitchen door and removed his shoes as soon as he was inside. He locked the door and crept across the old wooden floor and up the stairs. The hallway was softly lit by a small lamp and Buzz's shadow fell across the floor in Jessie's room as he gently pushed the door open a little further. He could see her form under the sheet, curled up and facing the center of the bed.

Buzz stripped down to his boxers and slid into bed, facing the sleeping woman. No sooner had he closed his eyes than he was jolted awake by a loud scream. His eyes opened to see bright blue eyes staring back at him. "Woah!" he yelled and jumped back, tumbling over the edge of the mattress, his legs and arms flailing wildly as he tried and failed to maintain balance.

The ceiling light turned on and Buzz blinked against the sudden onslaught of light. Woody was standing in the doorway, "Bo! What's wrong?" The bed-headed cowboy looked between his wife on the bed and Buzz on the floor. In response, Bo simply started to giggle. Woody caught the joke and sat on the bed, starting to laugh himself.

"Someone mind telling me what this is all about? Where's Jessie?" Buzz asked in bewilderment.

Bo shifted to a more comfortable seated position, "Out in the stables. One of the mares was looking to foal tonight, so she wanted to be there in case things went amiss."

"Oookaaaay…. But why are you in here?"

"Woody's had a cold the past week and I've barely been able to get a wink of sleep with his snoring," she tossed a look at her husband. "My stuff is all still crammed in the guest room, so Jessie told me I may as well use her bed since she wouldn't be in it. I doubt she'd have offered if she knew you'd be slipping in to it in the dead of night."

Buzz let out a hearty laugh at the absurdity of the situation, "Believe me, I wouldn't have slipped in here had I known. I'm sorry, Bo; what a rude awakening. You okay there, Woody?"

Woody had been bent over, rocking slightly. He sat back and tears were streaming down his cheeks. "If you…could have… only… seen….your face…" he managed to gasp out between laughs.

Bo chuckled and moved off the bed, taking Woody's hand, "Come on, Sheriff. Let's let the poor man get some sleep. G'night Buzz; good to have you home."

* * *

It was a little after seven when Jessie walked in to the kitchen and found Woody and Bo making breakfast. She caught sight of Buzz in the doorway and smiled broadly. "You're home!" she ran across the room and tackled him in a hug. "When did you get in?"

"About four o'clock this morning; you didn't hear the screams?" Woody grinned as he stirred the eggs in the pan.

Jessie blinked, "Screams? What…?"

Buzz flushed crimson and hastily told Jessie the story. Woody then regaled her with his version, peppered with Bo's interjections. She looked up at Buzz as she laughed, "My poor Space Ranger. That's the last time I let you sleep in my bed, Bo!" She grinned at her sister-in-law.

"No hard feelings, there!"

"And now we never need to mention it again," Buzz chuckled, knowing full well it would be the subject of laughter for many years.

"I'm surprised you came all the way out here instead of goin' to your house," Jessie wrapped her arms around Buzz's waist.

He put his own arms around her, "I honestly thought about it. Next time I will; it's too risky otherwise."

"How'd the mare do," Woody asked.

"Good," Jessie nodded, "We got a colt. Birth went off without a hitch. I probably lost a night's sleep for nothin'," she yawned. "If you folks don't mind, I didn't get a wink of sleep and this cowgirl's mighty tired. Buzz, you have to go back to base?"

Buzz shook his head, "Not until tomorrow. Today is a day to recuperate."

"Good," she took his hand, "come on to bed, then, since you were deprived earlier." As they nestled under the covers, Jessie planted a kiss on his cheek, "This a little more like what you had in mind?"

He chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Much." He deposited a kiss on her forehead and the pair drifted into a contented sleep.


	4. A Hard-Knock Day

**A/N: **inspired by a craptastic day, including the running mishap *grin* At least something good came out of the rottenness.

* * *

Jessie entered the kitchen with a sigh of disgust. The day had steadily gone from bad to worse as the hours ticked away. She flopped into one of the chairs and buried her head in her arms for a few moments. The chime of her phone brought her head up and she saw a text from Bo: _Jessie- have to work about an hour extra tonight. It's been a day. Won't be home for dinner. Let me know if I can bring you anything._

Jessie made a scoffing noise, "Seems like it's been a crummy day for everyone." She set her phone down and rummaged in the cupboards for food. She settled on a tomato sandwich, cutting the home-grown fruit into thick slices. She emptied the bag of potato chips onto her plate and poured a large glass of sweet tea. She sat back at the table and bit into her food, enjoying the explosion of sweetness the tomato released over her taste buds. Closing her eyes, she sighed again, this time a bit more happily. She reached for her phone and sent a reply to Bo, _Grabbed a sandwich. We're out of chips, FYI. Sorry you've had a rotten day, too. See you later. _A few minutes later, she got a reply, _On a quick break. What went wrong for you?_

_Nothing huge, just lots of little things all added up_, Jessie typed. _You?_

_Too much to text. Will tell you later tonight. Hope it gets better._

Jessie opened up a new message thread, this time to Buzz, _Think you'd get kicked out if you went AWOL to come give your wife-to-be a much needed massage? _ She punctuated the text with a winky face, but thought of how much she missed him on days like this. What she really wanted was for him to be home, to wrap his arms around her; his hugs had a way of making any negativity fade completely away.

_Well, if I can't have his hugs, maybe there is ice cream_, Jessie thought hopefully. She dumped her dirty dishes into the sink and opened the freezer door. It was well stocked, but sadly not with any ice cream. "Figures," she muttered. Her eyes fell on her running shoes, left by the door. "Well, why not?" She went to her bedroom and changed into a pair of running capris and a fitted shirt. She tucked her phone into the shirt's pocket, laced up her shoes, and headed out down the lane.

The evening air was cooling off and Jessie felt optimistic about her choice. She thought about taking all of the stresses from the day and letting them fall under her feet where she could pound them into the dirt. She had barely made it a quarter of a mile when something darted out from the tall grass that lined the road. She tried to stop, and had the sensation of stubbing her toe. Instead of continuing to run, though, she found herself tumbling onto the dirt, her right knee and left palm absorbing the brunt of the impact. She looked up in time to see the critter disappearing into the grass on the other side of the lane.

Jessie rocked back into a seated position and examined her hand. The heel of her palm was freckled with dirt and blood. Pulling back the fabric of her pant leg, she gave silent thanks she did not choose shorts. Her knee was slightly skinned, but she knew that a bruise was not far from coming. She stared down the road, musing over whether to continue her run or to return home. Tears suddenly sprang to her eyes and she felt an almost overwhelming urge to weep as yet another thing had gone wrong. Instead she laughed and flicked away the tears as she stood up and headed back towards the house.

She plodded back into the kitchen and retrieved the first aid kit from one of the cabinets. As she drew an alcohol pad across the scrapes, Jessie sucked in air through her teeth. The sting lasted only a moment and then she turned her attention to her knee. _Better put something on that, just in case_, she thought. She rummaged through the freezer and found a bag of cranberries. Wrapping that in a towel, she went to the living room and propped her right leg up, balancing the towel over her knee. She turned on the television to pass the time. She texted Bo, _Tried to run. Don't know why I thought that should work when nothing else has today. I need to take a shower, but I'm frankly afraid of what might happen._ She added a smiley face so her sister-in-law would know Jessie was in a good humor about the whole thing. After several minutes had passed, Jessie returned the cranberries to the freezer and went up to take a shower.

Mercifully, nothing further went awry and Jessie came back downstairs and found Bo in the kitchen. "Hey," she greeted.

"Hey, yourself. I guess no pipes burst?" Bo grinned.

"No, thank goodness!" Jessie laughed. "So, how was your day, dear?"

Bo smiled and handed Jessie a spoon. At the quizzical look on her face, she then produced a pint of triple chocolate ice cream. "Come on, let's sit soft and drown our sorrows. Woody's working graveyard with Andy."

Jessie listened as Bo told her all about the mishaps at the diner and then told her own story of the day. She smiled at her sister-in-law, "Well, at least the diner gig is only for the summer, right? Just makes you look forward to when school starts back up." During the summer, Bo helped at the local diner but come August, she was one of the teachers at the Sunnyside Preschool.

Bo laughed, "I guess it does. Sometimes it's trading one set of trouble for another. Always an adventure," she took a spoonful of ice cream and held the container out to Jessie.

Just as she was about to dig her spoon in, the Star Wars theme played from her phone and she smiled; that was Buzz's ringtone. "I think I'm done. Hey, Space Boy," she answered the phone and headed to the back porch.

"Hey, Cowgirl. Got your text; what's wrong?"

"Oh, it was just a crummy day. Little stuff like reins snapping and then a feed sack split when I was trying to lug it to the stalls. Some of the horses today were just _**so**_ ornery; they would not let me clean their hooves or anything, no matter HOW many carrots I promised. Then I went for a run," she filled him in on her spill.

The concern in Buzz's voice filtered through the phone, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just some bumps and bruises. It'll be a good one on my knee, too. Bo and I have been using ice cream to turn the day around."

"Has it worked?"

She shrugged, "It's worked enough. Why? You gonna try and top that?"

"I might. I mean, I WAS going to tell you that I'll be home on Friday, but if ice cream is all you need…"

Jessie let out a delighted whoop and heard Buzz laugh. "Ya mean it?"

"Yeah. We're about done with all we can do, and until Star Command gets it all implemented up there, we're at a stand still. Is that acceptable?" he teased.

"I s'ppose it'll have to do," she scoffed, but smiled happily. She and Buzz were able to talk a few more minutes before he had to end the call. Jessie went back into the house and joined Bo on the couch where the two women enjoyed a quiet girl's night for a change. For all that had gone wrong, Jessie was grateful that it took only one or two things going right to make the day seem better; and that was the best consolation there was.


	5. What would you do?

**A/N: **Inspired by a silly picture taken by athaye12 and the corresponding conversation with her and jessiejane10. I love my friends X-D Enjoy!

* * *

The Pride family and Buzz were sitting on the porch of the farmhouse enjoying the late summer evening. Jessie had put in a hard day on the ranch, so she was relishing the laziness that was seeping in to her bones as the sun continued to sink in the hot air. Dinner had been over long enough that her thoughts began to turn to the ice cream in the freezer.

As if he had read her mind, Buzz stood up, "Anyone want a Klondike bar?" Woody and Bo both declined, but Jessie nodded. He retrieved the desserts from the freezer and began to hand her one of the bars. It was almost within her grasp when he snatched his hand back and grinned, "Well?"

She blinked up at him, "Well, what?"

He waved it back and forth, "What are you going to do for it?"

"Let you live; give it here," she lunged for it as best she could from her seated position. It was not enough; Buzz laughed and took a step back. "Buzz, it's gonna melt! Gimme that!" She pushed herself up and took a step towards him.

"No," his blue eyes crinkled in amusement as Woody and Bo laughed at the scene. "Not until you answer the question."

Jessie blew air through her pursed lips, and narrowed her eyes. She was far from annoyed, and she knew that Buzz knew that. "Fine. I'll yodel." She reached for the bar, but Buzz held it high out of her reach.

"That's nothing new. Try again."

She looked to the side as she thought, "I'll ride Bullseye through town wearin' nothing but my chaps." _HA!_, she thought, _that'll get him._

Buzz smirked, "Tempting….but keep going."

Jessie's mouth fell open; she had been certain that would end the game. "Buzz, what in tarnation…" her gaze fell on on brother. "Okay, I'll rat out Woody for usin' one of Bo's good towels to clean the mud offa his boots."

Bo's head snapped towards her husband who grinned sheepishly in return.

"Mmmmm, not good enough. You better think of something, this is gonna be soup soon."

"All right, Space Ranger… you want an answer, you got one." In a surprising move, she pushed Buzz up against the side of the house, quickly capturing his mouth in hers. She kissed him deeply and slowly as her hands slid alongside his waist.

Buzz got lost in the kiss easily and was startled when Jessie suddenly broke away. It was his turn to look slightly dismayed when he saw she had managed to grab his ice cream as well as her own. "Hey, that's not fair!"

Jessie laughed as she peeled the silver wrapper away from her ice cream. She took a bite, making sure he saw her teeth sinking into the chocolate. "Yummmm," she taunted.

Woody took Bo's hand, "Come on. We'd better go for a walk or something before it starts getting any more awkward."

Bo laughed, "And you better tell me how you came to ruin one of my towels, Sheriff!" She waved to Jessie and Buzz as she was pulled off of the porch.

Jessie mimicked Buzz's early teasing with the frozen treat, "Well, Flyboy? What are _you_ gonna do?"

He strode over to her as she tucked her hand behind her back in an effort to play keep-away. With a confident grin he leaned down and whispered in her ear. Jessie let out a shriek of laughter and ran into the house, with Buzz in hot pursuit.


	6. In the Dog House

"Buzz?" Jessie knocked on the doorframe of the office they shared. The small room had passed from her Grandfather, to Woody, and now to her as the owner of Round Up Ranch. Buzz, being over as often as he want, had slowly migrated into the room as well, having to keep up with the numerous Star Command reports that accompanied his job.

It was one of these reports he was reading. "Hmmm?" He did not look up from the sheaf of paper in front of him.

"Can you come help me? I'm tryin' to get the mattress flipped, but I don't think I can manage it all by myself."

"Mmm-hmm," he nodded slightly.

"Thanks!" Jessie headed back upstairs to her bedroom. She shifted the sheets she had pulled from the bed so that they would not be in the way. A few minutes had passed and Buzz had not yet come up. She walked back down and found him exactly as she had left him. "Buzz?"

"Yeah?" his reply was absent.

"You comin' to help me or what?"

He nodded again, "Just a second." He flipped to a fresh page in the report.

She shrugged and went back upstairs. After several minutes spent in solitude, she once again sought Buzz in the office. He sat hunched over, studying the papers he had spread out over the desk. _Oh, forget it,_ Jessie thought, _I'll jus' do it myself_. With a frustrated sigh, she returned to her bedroom and began to wrestle with the mattress. It was heavy and unwieldy and Jessie toppled to the side as she lost her grip.

Buzz's attention was arrested by the sound of glass smashing. He thundered up the stairs and into Jessie's room. He stopped just inside the door. The mattress was slumped against the wall and the shattered remains of the bedside lamp littered the floor. He looked at Jessie, "Are you all right? What happened?"

"I was tryin' to flip the mattress but lost my hold on it."

"Why didn't you ask me to help you? You could have hurt yourself!"

Jessie stared at Buzz, "I _did_ ask you for help!"

His brow furrowed, "No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did. But you were too busy reading over those reports t' be bothered, so I just fended for myself."

"Jess, I think I'd remember you asking me for help. Why do you have to do everything the hard way?"

Her hands flew to her hips and her voice raised, "'Scuse me? I asked you, _twice_ to help me. And you said 'just a sec'. But I guess your reports are too important. Guess I know my place," she made a face.

"Now wait just a minute; those reports are part of my job. I have a duty, a responsibility to Star Command-"

"Oh but not to me or to this place, is that it? I see. Well, don't let me keep you from your _responsibilities_, Captain." She scowled as she took the mattress in her hands.

"Here, let me help."

"I can do it myself," she spat out the words, not meeting his eye. "Just go'way; I'm sure your blasted reports are waiting for you."

Buzz threw his hands up in the air, "Fine!" He stomped down the stairs, but instead of going back to the office, he took a turn through the kitchen and strode outside; his concentration was broken by his anger and he knew it would be useless to try and get any more work done. He rounded the corner of the barn and stopped short; Woody was leaning up against the side, a long piece of straw extending from his mouth.

The sheriff's brown eyes were dark with brooding and he let out a humorless chuckle when he saw Buzz's face, "You, too, huh?"

"How did you-?"

Woody nodded his head towards the house, "Heard the shouts."

Buzz sighed, "So why are you out here?"

"There was an incident at work. We were responding to a bank robbery and there was a shoot out. I didn't get hit," he added quickly, seeing the look of concern on his friend's face, "I was positioned behind the door to the cruiser. It took the bullet instead. I didn't tell Bo, because I didn't want to worry her. She found out anyway."

"How?"

He made a face, "Mrs. Potanski, the old busy-body. I'm sure she meant well, but when she heard about it, she called Bo all in a panic about whether I was all right. Bo gets real quiet when she's mad and let me tell ya, you could've heard a pin drop. She was down right irate with me for not telling her. But what was I supposed to tell her? Nothing happened, I didn't get hurt…why should I cause her undue stress over nothing! She doesn't need to be coddled, but honestly…and she won't tell me how I should handle it… at least she could throw me a bone!"

Buzz chuckled, "Nice choice of phrase, since we're both in the proverbial dog house."

"What'd you do to get there?"

He told Woody about the mattress and the lamp. "Jessie swears she asked me for help, but I honestly don't remember. And she accused me of not taking responsibility here, but part of the reason I work so hard at Star Command is because I _do_ have responsibilities here, and to her. Then, when I tried to help, she yelled at me that she didn't need it." He sighed, "I do feel bad, if she did ask for help, that I didn't help her. I know she's been working so hard ever since she took over the place, and half the time she really needs help but she just won't ask for it; that stubborn streak of hers. I still think I was right…but so was she."

It was Woody's turn to chuckle, "I remember, at our wedding reception, Sarge came up and congratulated me. And he said 'Son, let me give you the most important piece of advice you can have as a married mad: even when you're not wrong…you are.' Guess this must be what he meant."

"Yeah, but how does that help me? I'm not married, yet," Buzz laughed.

"Please," Woody scoffed, "You and Jessie have been married for years; you just haven't made it legal."

Buzz smiled, "Well, I think I'll take his advice anyways. Better go try to make amends." As he started to walk away, Bo came around the corner. He waved to her, "I'm just leaving." He found Jessie in the bedroom; the mattress had been flipped, the bed remade, and the broken lamp cleaned up. She was sitting on the edge and looked up with a start as he walked in.

"Sure you got all of your reports read?" she asked; her tone was scornful, but to a far lesser degree than earlier.

Buzz held up his hands, "I come in peace, all right? Please, Jessie; we need to talk about it." He sat on the bed near her. "Look, you said you asked me for help, and I'm sorry if you did; I honestly don't remember it. But what you said, about not taking responsibility…I don't think that's fair. I know you don't need me to take care of you, but I want to do right by Star Command so that I can fulfill my duties here, to you and to the ranch."

She sighed and looked down at her lap, "I shouldn've said that. It ain't true, and I knew it. I was just so…so… frustrated, I could barely see straight."

"Well, I think I have a solution," he offered, "I will try and be better about not getting so engrossed in my work. But if I do, and you need me, come in and tap me on the shoulder to get my attention."

"An' if that doesn't work?" she smiled.

"I guess you'll just have to think of something else to try. I have a few suggestions," Buzz grinned.

Jessie raised an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? Such as?"

The question went unanswered as Woody stuck his head through the door, "Is it safe?"

Both Jessie and Buzz laughed and she nodded, "Yeah. What's up?"

Woody and Bo entered the room, both visibly relaxed. "Bo thought we should get out of the house for a night; go grab some dinner and catch a movie at the drive-in. You guys in?"

With a look at Jessie, Buzz nodded, "Sounds great. We'll be down in a second." Once he and Jessie were alone in the room, he pulled her into a kiss.

"What was that for?"

"A suggestion."

"What… oh!" confusion was quickly replaced by understanding. "I like that one. Have any others?"

"Several," he smirked, "but nothing we have time to discuss now. Unless you want to drive separately."

Jessie laughed, swatting Buzz's arm lightly, "We're a little old to be 'necking' in the back seat, doncha think?"

"Maybe it wasn't 'necking' I had in mind," he pulled her to a standing position.

"Hey!" Woody's voice floated from the foyer, "You guys coming or what?"

"Be right down!" Jessie yelled. She quickly planted a kiss on Buzz's lips. "Come on, before we both end up in the dog house, you for the second time today."

"I might not mind it if you're my company," he winked and took her hand as they hurried downstairs.


	7. Traditions New and Old

**A/N: So a little bit of time has passed since our last chapter. It's the Saturday before Halloween, so let's drop by the Ranch, shall we?**

* * *

It was early in the morning on the day of the annual Pride Halloween party and Bo stood at the kitchen sink staring off into space.

Woody strolled into the room, "Hey howdy hey, little lady. I'm gonna head up to the barn… Bo? Bo, what's wrong?"

She started and looked at him, a smile tinged with disappointment crossing her face. She shook her head, and then shrugged, "It started this morning. Guess I was just late because of the stress at the preschool."

Woody enveloped his wife in a hug, resting his cheek on the top of her blonde head as she laid it against his chest. "It's okay, Bo. We have lots of time." He smiled softly at her as she looked up at him.

"I know, I just kind of hoped…although I know we talked about waiting until we were in our own house. Not that I think Jessie would mind; she'd have the babe on horseback before he could even crawl," a gentle peal of laughter escaped her lips.

"She would, that's for sure. You know I've been looking at the listings, but only casually. Should we start looking more earnestly?"

She nodded, "I think it couldn't hurt. Like you said, we have lots of time. What we don't have a lot of time for is getting ready for this party. Go on with you, I have food to prepare."

Woody kissed her softly pointed chin, "Yes, ma'am. I'll be just up in the barn if you need me."

* * *

The barn had been cleared of the horses and Buzz and Jessie had already emptied the dirty hay and scrubbed the stone floors clean. Woody was in the loft hanging fake cobweb and the lanterns for the "haunted haystacks" area. He had run into trouble, needing one more set of hands than he possessed to be able to properly attach the cobwebs to the wall. "Buzz! Give me a hand up here, would you?" He looked down on the floor as he heard a small thud. Laying near him was the disembodied hand from the scarecrow Buzz was assembling. Woody's face and shoulders drooped in exasperation, "Haha, very funny. This is serious!"

Buzz was already coming up the steps, a grin on his face, "Sorry, couldn't resist. What do you need help with?"

"Here," Woody handed him some cobweb, "Hold this while I hang this part. There's too much to try to hang and hold at the same time. Think Jessie would help, too?"

"No good; she's outside scrubbing out that metal trough for the apples. Hey, is Bo okay?" he asked. "She was pretty quiet this morning."

Woody hesitated momentarily, then shrugged a shoulder, "Yeah. We thought she might be pregnant, but it was a false alarm. It's okay, I mean we weren't really trying, but still we both feel kind of let down."

"I'm sure you do," Buzz offered sympathetically. "What are you two doing for costumes tonight?" he steered things towards a happier subject.

"Bo Peep and her sheep."

"Can't wait to see you in the bonnet," he teased.

"It's not what you think. Bo's going to be, well, Bo, and I'm the sheep. Just wait." Woody chuckled, "Mr. Potanski told me I was henpecked for letting her pick my costume."

Buzz laughed, "No one would know being henpecked like Potanski."

"That's the truth. What about you and Jessie? You doing a couple-ish thing?"

"Kind of. You know that sci-fi/western show we both like? Well, I'm going as the Captain," he made a face at Woody who coughed the phrase "type casting". "Anyways, Jessie's dressing up as the engineer."

"I thought the engineer loved the doctor," Woody raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well, it's our version. Besides, not many people would necessarily pair up a Space Ranger and a cowgirl, would they?"

"Only the ones who don't know you, Buzz, believe me."

They were hanging the last of the lanterns when Buzz yawned deeply. Woody chuckled, "Late night?"

He nodded, "Kind of. Been working at my place, trying to get it ready for winter and such before I leave for my mission. It's not like it's major repairs, but just a lot of little ones and it's time consuming."

"You really should just move here; you practically live here as it is," Woody grinned.

"I know," Buzz nodded. "I always kind of thought Jessie and I would live there after we got married, but now that she's running the ranch, it's simply not practical. I should sell it, but it's been in my family for generations and I hate the thought of it no longer being ours."

Woody stepped down from the stepladder, his face pensive. "What if it didn't leave the family?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, okay, technically we're not going to be family-family until next July…but between you and me, Bo and I have been kind of keeping an eye out for a house. Nothing serious, not yet; but we do want to start a family in the next year or two. And we both have jobs in town, so the location would be great."

Buzz nodded thoughtfully, "What about the field, though? Right now it goes with the house, even though it's not attached to the property."

"The sunflower field? We could work something out, maybe put it on with the ranch. Or we'd just keep it; I know Bo loves it too and it wouldn't be a lot of extra work. Plus, I ought to keep my hands in the dirt somehow. What do you think?"

All of the details seemed to fall into place and a slow smile spread across Buzz's face, "Yes, I think it could work."

"Let me talk it over with Bo, first; probably wouldn't be good to make this decision without her," Woody grinned.

He laughed, "Probably not. Maybe we can all talk it over at lunch. It's not like it's something that has to be decided today, after all."

"Buzz?" Jessie's voice floated up into the loft. "The trough's ready; can you come give me a hand?"

Woody grinned at Buzz and, being out of Jessie's sight, tossed down the dismembered scarecrow hand. She let out a small yelp and then laughed, "Har-har, very funny _Woo-deee_."

Both men laughed as they descended from the loft. Buzz went to help Jessie with the trough and remaining decorations. Woody headed to talk over the housing proposal with Bo, unable to suppress a smile as the excitement bubbled in his stomach.

* * *

"Did you get everything done in the barn?" Bo asked, handing out empty plates before sitting at the table.

"Yup! All that needs set up is the food and puttin' the apples in the trough so people can bob for 'em. The loft looks great, too," Jessie beamed at her brother and Buzz. "It's almost a shame I gotta let the horses back in after tonight."

Woody laughed, "That wouldn't be fair; after all, it is their home. Speaking of," he looked to Bo, who nodded. "Bo and I have somethin' to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"You see, the thing is… we want to start a family in a few years and we've been looking around at houses and we found one."

"No! You don't have to move out just 'cause you want kids! I-I can move in with Buzz," she looked quickly to her fiancé, "can't I? It should be me that leaves; I mean, otherwise it's like I'm kickin' you outta your own home!"

"Don't be silly," Bo put in briskly, "you're not kicking us out! Besides, the house is already yours, in case you didn't read any of that paperwork you had to sign when Woody turned over the ranch to you."

"Bo's right, Jess. Even if the house _was_ still mine, you couldn't move in with Buzz… because that's where we're going to live."

"What?" she looked again at Buzz who nodded with a smile.

"As Woody so pointedly informed me earlier, I already live here, practically. And he's right in that you should be here. Trying to keep up that house is proving to be a bigger task than I realized, and I would rather sell it to family than a stranger."

Woody piped in, "It's a perfect location for Bo and I, since we both work in town. And we'll keep the sunflower field, too. What do you think, Jessie?"

She blinked a few times, "Ya really mean it." She smiled, "Wow…you guys with kids. It's just…it's such a big change. But it's great! It's really great!"

Woody laughed and held up a hand, "It's not going to happen for a while, so don't get too excited about having the place all to yourself. There's work to be done before we move in, so it might not officially happen until Spring, after Buzz is back."

The Space Ranger nodded, "I only have a week before I leave for the mission, but we could try and get the deeds all switched over, if you want. Speaking of, you still good to drop me off at the base on Friday?"

He nodded, "Yup, and don't worry about the paperwork yet; it's not that pressing. I mean we can try, but as long as Jessie really isn't going to kick us out…" he shot his sister a teasing look.

"Well, I guess that's gonna all depend on you," she smirked and gave her red braid a toss. "Bo, you're safe, but I'll be watching you, Woody…always watching."

The four shared a laugh as they dug in to their lunches. Jessie was glad the move would not take place for several months. It would make Buzz's absence easier to take, but she also knew it would make their family traditions that much sweeter, including the one that was only a few hours away.

* * *

Buzz finished buttoning the maroon shirt and was pulling on the brown trousers when Jessie came in to the room. She wore a pair of khaki coveralls that she had ripped the sleeves from. Underneath she wore a long sleeve printed shirt, but it was her hair that made Buzz's jaw drop. She had released it from its usual braid and let it fall into loose waves.

"Better hitch up your britches there, Cap'n Tightpants," she grinned at him as she sat down on the bed.

He smirked as he finished getting dressed, thinking how apt the nickname was at that particular moment. Shrugging on the suspenders, he sat on the bed's edge to pull the brown riding boots on. "How do people wear these things?" he grunted, struggling to get the boots on over the fabric of the pants.

Jessie laughed and retrieved the rest of his costume. "They can't be harder to put on than your spacesuit, Fly boy. Here's your holster; and don't forget this," she handed him the long brown coat. "Mmmmm, not bad, Cap'n. Maybe you should wear this more often," she smiled suggestively as he stood to don the garment and she rested her hands on his chest.

Buzz smiled but before he could retort, a strange looking animal walked in to the room. "Woody?" Both he and Jessie stared aghast at the young man.

Instead of being dressed as a regular sheep, his "wool" was matted and dingy. His face was gray with black blotched under his eyes and fake blood around his mouth. Bo walked in just behind him and Jessie shrieked with laughter. Her sister-in-law was Bo Peep, but her dress was ripped and she had done her face as a zombie.

Woody grinned, "I told you it wasn't what you thought. Well?"

Buzz grinned, "Genius. Zombie Bo Peep and her sheep."

"The Walking Fleece," Bo quipped. "You guys look great! Shall we go? People are going to start arriving soon. And I'm sure Pricklpants… I mean Mr. Taldon, will be early to get his little show together." Bo had approached the local thespian, so named because he created the character after inadvertently sitting on the school's pet hedgehog, to both invite him to the party and to tell local ghost stories. He had been delighted and assured her he would attend; the quartet found him already waiting by the barn doors.

While Woody showed Mr. Taldon to the loft, Buzz took care of hanging the piñata and the girls made sure the food was ready. The first guests to arrive were Trixie and Rex, dressed as dinosaurs, followed by Slink as a hot dog and Sarge as a green army man. When Andy showed up dressed as a Sheriff, Woody greeted his boss and friend with a laugh, "Have to work tonight or just couldn't come up with a better costume?"

The Potanskis arrived dressed as Mr. and Mrs. Potatohead. "Aren't these adorable?" Mrs. Potanski shrieked. "As soon as I saw them online, I told Don we had to wear them." She squeezed her husband's arm and he made a face. Woody raised his eyebrows at Buzz who grinned and mouthed "henpecked"; the two friends quickly broke eye contact before they lost their composure.

The party was in full swing with more friends coming in. The shrieks of kids' laughter filtered down from the loft and Jessie smiled as she heard Taldon's rich baritone, "it was the slime from the creature's metamorphosis!" The night was filled with good memories and laughter as people bobbed for apples, took turns at the piñata, and enjoyed the company of friends and family.

Jessie had retreated to a quiet spot, watching the festivities. Buzz reached from behind her, handing her a cup of apple cider. She took it with a smile and leaned against him as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"So, when this place is completely ours, will we get to keep this tradition?"

She nodded, "Of course! Woody'd tan my hide if we stopped it."

He leaned his head against hers, "Maybe start a few traditions of our own?"

"I like the sound of that. Got somethin' in mind?"

"Well, we could always keep up the tradition of having a wedding here on the ranch, like Woody and Bo did."

She twisted to look at him, "Actually, I was thinkin' of that. And I don't wanna get married here. I know Woody and Bo did, but I don't want to make that less special for them. I was wonderin' if we could get married in the field, with all of the sunflowers."

A wide smile spread across Buzz's face. That field had been a special place to him when Jessie had been away at veterinary school, and it became even more special when she came back and they had reconciled. "It's perfect. Absolutely perfect," he kissed her forehead.

Jessie leaned back against Buzz and sipped her drink. She sighed happily at the sight of her friends as they enjoyed themselves, of Woody and Bo as they fell against each other in laughter, of the delight in thinking of the future of this tradition and the ones to come.


	8. A Cup Runneth Over

**A/N: So if you read "A Proper Send Off", pretend you didn't, because this chapter was supposed to come first LOL I obviously need to try and be more organized about what I have posted and what I haven't. Anyways, enjoy this almost-missed chapter!**

* * *

Jessie came in to the house, leaving her long coat in the mud room where it dripped, creating a puddle on the floor. She bent forward, consumed by the coughing that had plagued her ever since the Halloween party. With November only a few days away, it seemed that winter had come for an early visit. She knew working in the damp and chilly air was not healthy, but she had a ranch to run and it was just a sacrifice to be made. She heard Buzz call her name and she looked up to find him in the doorway that led into the kitchen from the hall.

"I'm okay," she smiled even though this fit had brought tears to her eyes.

"Why don't you come watch tv with me? Get you warmed up."

She nodded, "I'll be right there. Just let me get some tea heating up." She filled a mug with water and set it in the microwave, pressing the "boil water" button. She set out the honey Bo gave her to use as a sweetener and to help her throat. The microwave still had a few minutes on it so she decided to join Buzz.

He held up the blanket for her, "C'mere, Cowgirl. Just watch out for my glass on the table."

Jessie could feel her eyes drifting closed from the comfort of the warmth given by both Buzz and the blanket. Her head fell against his chest and she felt his arm close around her. She was so tired; with the weather turning, the horses needed to be rounded up into the stables and there was a lot of winterizing to be done. The head cold had left her feeling utterly drained from the constant need to cough. Buzz had expressed his concern and suggested she see a doctor, but Jessie assured him it was not that severe and she would be better in a few days. What she really needed was a day simply to rest, but if she was not making sure everything was getting done, who would? Just as she was about to slip into the deep waters of slumber, the microwave alarm beeped cheerfully. Jessie groaned and pulled her head up reluctantly. She tried to stand up only to feel a wave of dizziness wash over her. She pitched forward and caught herself on the coffee table with her free hand. Buzz's glass wobbled before tipping over; the beer inside pooled across the table and dribbled onto the floor.

"Jessie!" Buzz jumped up in a flash, pulling the blanket away from the spreading liquid. "I told you to watch out for the glass!"

Tired though she was, her temper flared, "It's not like I did it on purpose! Geez, Buzz, it was an accident!" The coughing returned with her agitation.

"Just look at this mess! Now I have to clean it up." He threw the blanket on to the couch and picked the glass up, his eyes flashing with anger.

"I'll take care of it," she protested. "I'm the one who spilled it. _By accident_," she added pointedly.

He waved his hand dismissively, "I'll do it. You'll probably just make a bigger mess. Just… just go somewhere."

Jessie stared at her fiancé, stung. "Fine, ya know what? I'm just gonna go to bed. You can stay tonight or go home, I don't care." She plodded up the stairs to the angry sounds of Buzz slamming the cupboard doors in the kitchen and muttering.

Buzz cleaned up the spilled beer, the entire time mumbling an irritated diatribe under his breath. Honestly, he had warned Jessie about the glass and it was like she had not even listened. Now there was a large mess and he had to get it cleaned up before any of it dried and left a sticky residue. _My last bottle of that pumpkin ale, too_, he lamented.

As he threw out the wad of wet paper towels, he could hear Jessie coughing upstairs. His eyes fell on the microwave as it beeped once as a reminder that the food was done and he immediately felt chagrined. _Way to make an ass of yourself, Lightyear_, he shook his head ruefully. He knew Jessie had been under the weather, and he felt horrible for being so upset over something as trivial as a beer, especially since he would be leaving in three days for a six-month long mission. He reheated the water and made her tea, heading upstairs as soon as it was finished.

Jessie had changed into her pajamas and was sitting on her bed rubbing a medicated ointment onto her chest when she saw Buzz in the doorway, a mug in his hands. "Somethin' else for me to knock over, or are you doin' the honors this time?" she made a face and turned away.

He came and sat on the bed next to her, "It's a peace offering. I'm sorry, Jess; I don't know why I overreacted. It was stupid…no, _I_ was stupid. I know you're not feeling well and I shouldn't have yelled at you; well, I shouldn't yell at you anyway, but especially not when you're sick and still working so hard. Forgive me?" He gave her a small smile.

She suppressed a cough and smiled, "I s'ppose so."

"Here, trade you." He took the small jar from her hands and replaced it with the mug of tea. He climbed on to the bed and knelt behind her.

Jessie sipped the hot beverage as she felt the cold ointment on her back. Buzz's hand rubbed her skin gently and she leaned back into his touch. "You may still want to head home; I can't guarantee you'll get any sleep tonight with my stupid cough. I'm sure I've been keeping Woody and Bo awake, too."

He set the jar on his nightstand and wrapped his arms around Jessie's waist, "You just let me be the one to worry about that. Is Woody going to relieve you tomorrow?"

"Mmmm, I dunno. I didn't ask him. I know it's his day off, but I feel bad about taking those away from him by askin' him to help out on the ranch."

"Jessie! You know he said any time you need him… besides, you need to take a day off and rest."

"I know, I know," she tilted her head back to rest it against his. "There's jus' so much to do."

"And others who can help do it. He and Bo should be back from their date in a few hours…promise me you'll ask him."

She nodded and set the mug on the nightstand, "'Kay. In the morning, though; this cowgirl's mighty tired."

"I'll talk to him then; you get some sleep." Buzz pressed his lips into her hair before he shifted to let her under the covers, "G'night, Jessie."

"Night…an' Buzz?"

"Yeah?"

"Stick with the bottle next time. They don't spill quite so fast," she gave a sleepy laugh.

Buzz chuckled and ruffled her hair as she settled into sleep, "I'll try and remember that."


	9. A Proper Send Off

Buzz and the rest of the Space Rangers were en route to their shuttle. There was an area for a final farewell to family members, and most of the Rangers were there. Buzz leaned back against the wall, feeling slightly out of place as he waited. He had left the ranch last night, making his goodbyes; the time he spent with Jessie seemed all too short. His thoughts drifted to Jessie and he wondered what she was doing at that moment. It was early in the morning, but she would have been up for a few hours, tending to the horses in the barn. A voice calling his name broke through his fog and he straightened, surprised to see Jessie waving to him from across the tarmac. His face broke into a wide grin as he jogged over to where she stood. He caught her in a hug, lifting her up and spinning her in a circle, "Jessie! What are you doing here?"

She laughed, pleased that she surprised him. "Well, you're gonna be gone for such a long time, I couldn't let ya leave without giving you a proper send off." She grabbed a handful of the purple jumpsuit he was wearing and pulled him in to a kiss. When she broke away, her face fell and she sighed. "I can't believe you won't be around for the holidays; it ain't gonna be the same without you."

"You sure you want to marry into this life?"he rubbed his hand across her back.

She smiled, "As long as it's you I'm marryin', I'll consider it a small price to pay."

He chuckled warmly, "At least we'll be able to talk this time, since the video communication links are all set up."

"Yeah. You'll let me know when, right?"

"As soon as I know," he nodded and played with her braid. "Don't worry; I'll be back before you know it. Besides, between the holidays, the ranch, and keeping Woody and Bo out of trouble, you'll be so busy you won't even miss me."

"I already miss you." Jessie's gaze drifted upwards as an announcement came over the the PA system: "All family members please begin clearing the tarmac. All family members please begin clearing the tarmac." She looked at Buzz, her green eyes wide with sudden dread.

He pulled her against him, letting his hand run over her hair as he breathed in her scent. Buzz pressed his lips against her ear, "I love you, Jessie."

She turned her head and captured his lips against hers, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He moved his mouth with hers and lifted her into the kiss as he felt her fingers rake through his hair. They were interrupted by the whine of the engines.

"Better go; they might leave without you," Jessie whispered.

"I might let them," Buzz muttered, tracing her jaw with his fingertips, his eyes taking in her face.

"And let me be the reason you get dishonorably discharged from Star Command, leaving the universe to fall prey to the forces of evil? I don't think so, buster!" Jessie grinned and pushed him away playfully.

He took both of her hands in both of his and brought them to his lips. "When you go to bed tonight, check under my pillow. I left something there for you."

"You did? What is it?"

He winked broadly, "You'll see. But not until you go to bed!" He gave her hands a final squeeze and released them.

She took in a shaky breath as she watched him walk away towards the line of the other Space Rangers. "Be safe," she called after him; he turned and waved with a reassuring smile. A second announcement cut through the air and she hurried from the tarmac and joined the remaining family members at the viewing area. After a few minutes, the shuttle that would take the Rangers to Star Command steered into sight at the end of the runway. Jessie heard the thrusters fire and the craft sped past. She hugged her waist and watched as the shuttle became a speck in the sky before disappearing into the clouds. With a sigh, she began the walk back to her truck. Her thoughts brightened with the remembrance of what Buzz had said and she wondered just what he had left her. "Not before you go to bed!" his voice echoed in her ears as clearly as if he were standing next to her. She could not help but laugh, "Okay, okay," she murmured as if he could hear.

Later that night, she tucked herself into bed and reached under Buzz's pillow. There she found an envelope addressed to her. She smiled and pulled her knees up to her chest as she opened the letter.

_Jessie, if you're reading this, Woody actually remembered to tell you about it (or Bo bailed him out; I told her, too, since Woody tends to forget things)._ Jessie chuckled and continued reading. _By this point, I'm almost to Star Command. I know we already said our farewells, and I know that you feel badly about not coming to see me off,_ (_Ha!_, Jessie thought, _got you there, Space Boy_), _so I have a few more things to tell you._

_First off, some practical matters: please use my truck at least once during the week, or just let it run for a while, especially during the winter. I've already arranged for any utility bills from my house to be taken care of, and Woody and Bo both know this. That way they can start any work they want to in the house. _

_Secondly, I know this isn't the first mission I've gone on, and it's not the longest time we've been separated, but the circumstances now are thankfully very different._ Jessie swallowed, knowing he meant when she had left for veterinary school and their relationship had broken off. _We can still write to each other and as soon as I know the schedule, we can set up the video communication link. But even then, I will miss you every day. I will miss your laughter and easy smile greeting me in the morning. I will miss helping you with the horses; yes, even mucking out the stalls. I will miss the scent of fresh hay and sunshine that linger on your skin, and the way it fills my senses when I kiss your freckled shoulders._

Jessie's cheeks flooded with color as the letter quickly took a very personal turn. She shook her head in amazement that Buzz's words could make her feel like a school girl, even after the length of time they had been intimate. She felt her throat go dry and she was glad she heeded his command to wait to read it. _Hopefully I've made my point. _ Jessie was sure he was grinning when he wrote that, imagining her reaction. _I know you'll be fine; you're a bright and strong young woman…it's what made me fall in love with you. But, if or when you feel lonely, read this letter and know that I mean every word and I am counting down the days until the mission is over and I come home to you. Be good, Cowgirl, and keep Woody out of trouble, if you can. I'll talk to you soon. All my love, Buzz_

She sighed and held the letter against her chest for a few moments. A slow smile spread across her face and she folded the paper and placed it back in its envelope. She slid it back under Buzz's pillow for safe keeping. She reached over and turned off the bedside lamp. "G'night, Space Boy," she whispered and drifted off to sleep.


End file.
